Fuentes Georginas is the most developed and most visited of the natural hot spring complexes around Quetzaltenango, set in a dramatic ravine in the mountains south of the city about 30 kilometres from the centre. The pools are fed by volcanic water and surrounded by dense tropical vegetation — cloud forest above, tree ferns crowding the slopes. The main pool is large enough to swim in; smaller soaking pools are hotter. The whole place smells pleasantly of sulphur.
The setting is the appeal: getting to Fuentes Georginas means driving up into the highlands through indigenous villages and maize fields, with views back toward Quetzaltenango and the surrounding peaks. The springs are busier on weekends when Guatemalans from the city come to relax. On weekday mornings you may have a pool largely to yourself.
Nearby Almolonga, a market town famous for growing enormous vegetables in the mineral-rich volcanic soil, is worth a stop on the way back. The Monday market is particularly busy.